This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Delivered on:

11 January 2011

This written ministerial statement was laid in the House of Commons on 11 January 2011 by Damian Green, and in the House of Lords by Baroness Neville-Jones.

The government has decided to opt in to the EURODAC Regulation. The regulation meets the criteria set out in the coalition agreement with regard to EU justice and home affairs measures.

The draft regulation will govern the operation of the EURODAC fingerprint database, which collects the fingerprints of asylum seekers, and certain illegal entrants to the EU, in order to help member states to determine who is responsible under the Dublin Regulation for dealing with an asylum claim. The government is committed to the Dublin system, of which EURODAC is an essential part, as it helps tackle the problem of people abusing asylum systems across Europe by making multiple claims in different EU member states.

The government will approach forthcoming legislation in the area of justice and home affairs on a case-by-case basis, with a view to maximising our country’s security, protecting Britain’s civil liberties and enhancing our ability to control immigration.